Who Participates in PEPP?

 PEPP Reading operates six sites in the Reading School District:

• Northeast Middle School
• Northwest Middle School
• Southern Middle School
• Southwest Middle School
• The Citadel Intermediate High School
• Reading High School

On any given PEPP day, average attendance per site is approximately 30-40 students with a 60-student enrollment limit per site. Currently, PEPP serves approximately 200 students in the Reading School District.

The Penn State Educational Partnership Program (PEPP) is an extended school-day early intervention initiative that encourages academically underrepresented youth to pursue their full academic potential. Offered at no cost to participants, PEPP plans, develops, and implements education-related programs and activities for middle school and high school students. As an extended school-day program, PEPP emphasizes students’ academic and personal support including homework completion and accuracy, self-discipline, study-skill development, and individual and social growth. PEPP’s core goal is to prepare Partnership participants for successful college matriculation and completion.

PEPP targets students in the Reading School District in grades 7 through 12 who earn grades in the average to above-average range who have the potential for postsecondary education. There are specific criteria for students to be recommended to and maintain their status with PEPP, but basically all students must meet the requirements of the "Three A's"--average to above-average  ACADEMICS, consistent ATTENDANCE, and a positive ATTITUDE. Students can remain in PEPP throughout their years of middle school and high school as long as they meet the requirements of self-discipline, consistent attendance, and positive academic progress – all virtues that lead to successful postsecondary enrollment and completion. PEPP runs throughout the academic school year breaking during the college’s winter break.

Students are recommended to PEPP through the use of a Teacher/School Counselor Recommendation Form. These forms are distributed to teachers and school counselors at each PEPP site by the Site Supervisor at the beginning of each fall and spring semester. Each PEPP site generally has an introductory PEPP meeting where students are invited to learn what PEPP is all about. A PEPP Registration Packet is given to each interested student, which must be completed and signed by both the student and parent/guardian prior to the student participating in PEPP. The PEPP Registration Packet includes:

• PEPP Registration Form  & PEPP Registration Form--Spanish
• PEPP Data Form--English  & PEPP Data Form--Spanish
• PEPP Medical Form  & PEPP Medical Form--Spanish
• PEPP Daily Release Form  & PEPP Daily Release Form--Spanish

PEPP Scholarships 

Students who successfully complete the PEPP Program and have been enrolled in the program for at least 3 years have their application fee waived when applying to any Penn State campus. PEPP also awards the following scholarships to PEPP members who are “Paid Accept” status at Penn State and who have registered or are scheduled to register:

$500.00 Senior-of-the-Year Jenkins PEPP Book Scholarship: This scholarship is given to a PEPP senior from each of the 3 PEPP locations (McKeesport, Reading, Philadelphia) who has been with PEPP for at least 2 or more years at the high school level and/or was in PEPP Academy at the intermediate school level or the middle school level, has the highest high school GPA, and has “Paid Accept” status with Penn State University.
These students will continue to receive this scholarship, at a $300.00 award amount, each 
fall semester while attending Penn State University for their Associate or Baccalaureate degree as long as the following criteria is met:   
Student must be in registered status
Student must maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher for the academic year

$300.00 Jenkins PEPP Book Scholarship: This award is given to PEPP members from each of the 3 PEPP locations (McKeesport, Reading, Philadelphia) who have been with PEPP for at least 2 or more years at the high school level and/or was in PEPP Academy at the intermediate school level or the middle school level, and has “Paid Accept” status with the University and has not been awarded the Senior-of-the Year PEPP Jenkins Scholarship.
These students will continue to receive this scholarship, at a $300.00 award amount each fall semester while attending Penn State University for their Associate or Baccalaureate degree as long as the following criteria is met:  
Student must be in registered status
Student must maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher for the academic year